PC Pound Puppies

Improving the lives of stray and homeless dogs....

Interested in being a VOLUNTEER for
PC Pound Puppies?

            Thanks for your interest in volunteering with PC Pound Puppies.  The primary opportunity we offer for volunteers takes place at our weekly adoption events on Sundays at the Pet Food Center on First Avenue in Evansville, Indiana from 11am-3 pm.  Most of the work involves walking the dogs but we also need help giving baths and offering one-on-one attention.  We also need strong bodied people from 10:30-11:30am to unload and set up crates, prepare food and water bowls and post signs.  From 3-4pm, those same strong bodied people are needed to help pack up and store crates, etc.  Volunteers can come for whatever part of the day they want – it’s not necessary to stay the entire time.

            Our policy on the age of volunteers is somewhat elastic.  We typically like for our volunteers to be at least 16 years old.  If they are younger, say 14 or 15, we ask that a parent come along and stay with the child the entire time on that first day. That gives the parent a chance to see what we do, then together we can decide if the child can manage it.  Every child is different and some children have capabilities at a young age to handle it and others do not. We have some 14 year old volunteers who come frequently and can handle the dogs as well as any adult.  Other volunteers don’t feel confident walking the dogs but like to provide some one-on-one attention.

            Most of the dogs that we have available for adoption are large, unruly and have never had any training. They pull on the leash, jump on you, get you tangled in the leash, and it's easy to get hurt.  Dogs can pull you down, knock you over, take a treat from your hand and accidentally grab a finger with it, and yes... they sometimes bite – it’s rare but it can happen.  The small dogs are just as guilty of bad behavior as the big dogs are - they are often scared and sometimes nip out of fear.  Other dogs want so desperately to get out of their crate that they burst out as soon as you open the door and it's hard to hold on to them while attaching the leash... so you can see why age can make a difference.

            The job of caring for the dogs takes so much effort from our adult volunteers that we aren't able to oversee or ensure the safety of the younger volunteers and that's why we ask that if they are younger than 14, they be accompanied by an adult EVERY time they volunteer.

            We certainly don't want to scare anyone away from doing this because it can be incredibly fulfilling.  There are plenty more rewards than drawbacks. But hopefully you can understand why we have this policy in place.  Some other local agencies have programs for younger volunteers, but they have more manpower than our group does which allows them to closely supervise the interaction between child and dog.

Parents of children younger than 14-16 should consider making this a project that you can enjoy together.


            Please feel free to email or call us with questions.  If you decide to give it a try, please complete the form available below.

Thanks again.  We hope to see you soon!